


Love is for Children

by buckyseyesandthighs



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Male-Female Friendship, Mutual Pining, Post-Avengers (2012), Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-18 20:13:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20197495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckyseyesandthighs/pseuds/buckyseyesandthighs
Summary: You’re a former mercenary turned Avenger who joins the team after fighting, and defeating, each member that tried to recruit you. You’re confident in your abilities and even challenge the man formerly known as the Winter Soldier. A battle of egos ensues and it’s Bucky that fights to get your attention but you’re a professional and won’t fall easy for his charm.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo I accidentally deleted this work and now I'm just reuploading it. Because I'm a pleb. But if you haven't read it, I hope you enjoy it!

“How the hell does she keep getting away?!” Tony shouted at no one in particular as he paced the floor. He didn’t like getting bested by anyone, but he really didn’t like that the whole team had had their asses handed to them.

“She’s a professional, Tony,” Steve said before putting two more ice packs on his knees and wincing slightly as he adjusted them.

Tony stopped walking and looked bewildered at the blonde man. “Yeah? And what the hell are we? We’ve only saved the planet a handful of times, but we can’t take down some nimble little assassin?!” His incredulous tone echoed throughout the cavernous lounge of the Avengers compound.

You had been on the team’s radar for months now. As a former mercenary, your skill set was quite impressive; staggering intellect, combat training, proficiency with any number of deadly weapons, and you could charm even the most ruthless and cunning of minds without being emotionally compromised. As far as resumes go, this made you a perfect candidate for Avenger potential, as much as it made you a threat. Fury warned the team that there was no way they would be able to bring you in. That they’d have better luck just calling and asking you over for lunch. Against better judgment, they ignored his advice and set a plan in motion.

First, Sam and Wanda were sent in for surveillance. Nothing confrontational. They took positions at opposite ends of a small cafe you visited often and watched you. Wanda worked to get a read on your thoughts and found that your mind was clear and calm, almost in a meditative state. They knew you were well-trained and disciplined so this hardly seemed surprising, even if it was a little unsettling.

Only ten minutes of uneventful observation passed when Sam noticed that you were getting ready to leave. He signaled for Wanda to stop you without causing a scene, making sure to keep his eyes on you until she worked her magic. But after several seconds, nothing was happening. He was about to call out to his teammate again when you looked him straight in the eye, gave him a sly wink and then nodded behind him.

Sam whipped his head back towards Wanda to see that the brunette was waving her hands in front of her face and making whooshing sounds out loud. He ran to her side and immediately noticed that her pupils were completely blown; she was hallucinating. Wanda started laughing nonsensically, pointing to her coffee cup and shouting, ‘Clue!’ repeatedly. Sam picked up the empty mug from the saucer to reveal a post-it note underneath, simply stating, “Bye Bye, Birdie.” By the time he ran out of the cafe to find you, you were long gone.

“If I had my pack, I would’ve been able to track her. Rookie mistake.” Sam tried to defend his honor, but it made no difference. You gave them the slip and they would just have to try again.

A week later, it was Clint and Natasha’s turn. The two master spies were confident that they could bring you in with no complications or excuses. They spotted you in a crowded park, leisurely reading a book and keeping to yourself. The area was quite large with plenty of ground level obstacles that could be used as cover. Taking extra precaution, Clint stationed himself atop a nearby building so he could communicate your position to his partner in case you ran and a fight were to break out. Which it did the second Nat got a little too close.

Barton watched from above as you fought each other through the area. Expertly avoiding the stunned civilians and deflecting her attacks with such finesse and precision, it barely looked as though you were even trying. He continued to relay your position through the comms whenever you managed to break away long enough to take cover. Then he saw that you had taken out a weapon.

For a split-second, he was worried you were going to shoot Natasha so he didn’t realize that it was pointed in his direction. Suddenly, a high-pitched ringing shot through his ears and he fell back in pain, clutching his head. The ‘gun’ you aimed at him disrupted the frequency in his hearing devices and the feedback sent him reeling. With Barton down, Natasha decided she had had enough. After a few more hits were exchanged, she vaulted towards you with the intention of using her signature technique to take you down once and for all. The next few seconds were a blur as you countered her advance before her legs could make a connection and grabbed hold of her. Using her momentum and your strength, you threw her to ground, hard. The unanticipated brute force knocked the wind out of her and left her writhing in shock, giving you time to run away.

“Honestly Nat, everyone kind of expects that move now. You use it all the time.“ Clint said, immediately regretting his words when he saw the look on his partner’s face.

Another week passed leading up to last night’s encounter with Tony and Steve, where you made even shorter work of them. They trailed you after leaving a fancy gathering, dressed to impress in a floor-length gown and heels that were sure to slip you up if you were to try and run.

They were wrong.

They lost visual on you for only a minute, which was evidently all the time you needed to find a large rifle you had stashed away. Before Tony could lift his gauntlets in defense, you fired a powerful EMP at the armored Avenger, effectively frying his circuits and sending his suit into a frenzy before crash-landing. As for Cap, you went for his legs.

Moral of the story: Never doubt Nick Fury.

“She’s making fools of us, you realize that?” Tony announced.

“Yeah we got that, Tony,” said Natasha. She was more annoyed with Stark than she was with you at this point. She could deal with skilled professionals, not whining billionaires.

“She knew we were coming before we even had eyes on her. How?” Steve was as concerned as he was intrigued.

The entire team sat there wallowing in defeat and embarrassment because of the situation they had put themselves in. All with the exception of one. The only person not tasked with bringing you in yet, who was also failing to contain himself against his crestfallen teammates. They heard his snickers and turned to face the long haired brunette.

“Something funny, Barnes?” Tony all but growled through his teeth.

Bucky chuckled and leaned back in his seat. “Do I really have to say it?” 

“Oh, I wish you would,” Sam challenged.

“Well…you sent in the rest, now it’s time to send in the best,” Bucky declared with a smug grin. His hands gestured up and down the length of his body, earning him a collective groan of disapproval from the others.

Bucky Barnes had been in recovery for nearly two years. Improving steadily with the aid of his best friend Steve and the rest of the team supporting him. It had taken some time for Tony to finally accept that Barnes wasn’t in control during all those years in service to the true enemy. Hydra was responsible for everyone’s suffering, not just his own or his team’s. So for the sake of recovery, Tony decided to help the former assassin. Whether he would live to regret that decision or not remained to be seen.

With the development of B.A.R.F., Stark was capable of hijacking the hippocampus of Bucky’s brain to help him recover from the traumatic events and painful memories of his past. Most importantly, they had managed to erase any lingering threat of the Winter Soldier being activated ever again by ridding his mind of the trigger words. It wasn’t an easy or quick process, but it had proved successful and lead to The Stark Relief Foundation beginning their work towards helping other victims of PTSD.

With that chapter of his life finally ending, Bucky was able to move forward and discover who he was now. He wasn’t the same Sergeant James Barnes of the Howling Commandos, nor was he the mindless Hydra assassin. But there were qualities from each of those men that helped make Bucky who he was today. He was charming, sweet, and loyal to a fault, signaling that 40′s influence. He also showed great discipline and confidence, with an intensity that could stop anyone dead in their tracks; a nod to his days as the Soldier. He knew his skills in hand-to-hand combat and his efficiency with weapons were unmatched and he wasn’t above flaunting it these days. Basically, Bucky Barnes had a bit of an ego, much to the team’s displeasure and annoyance.

“You’re an idiot,” Natasha scolded.

“No, he’s a jackass,” corrected Sam.

Steve just mumbled, "Jerk."

“Alright alright, enough.” Tony halted the parade of names, feeling his blood pressure rising. “We can think of colorful words to describe Barnes all the live long day. Right now we have a bigger issue that nee—”

“Sir, we have a situation at the main entrance of the compound.” F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s voice interrupted. The group looked around at each other, more confused than alarmed. Meanwhile, Tony was ready to explode.

“Why must there always be a problem!? Alright, me and Rogers head to the gate. The rest of you, check the perimeter and the lower levels.” He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves but then…

“The breach isn’t at the gate, boss. It’s the main entrance _inside_ the compound.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed them.

“WHAT?!” Tony screamed.

Everyone jumped into action instantly. Steve rushed for his shield and was shouting out orders. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., red alert. Lockdo—”

“That won’t be necessary, people.” Your voice came over the intercom throughout the entire compound. “I was under the impression that you wanted to get a hold of me so I figured I’d just stop by.”

“Holy shit. That’s her,” Bucky mumbled to himself, unable to hide the admiration in his voice. Your elusiveness with his team had impressed him over the last few weeks. A flood of excitement rushed through him now that he would be meeting you face to face. Even if he was a little disappointed that he wouldn’t get the chance to bring you in himself.

The group bolted towards the main lobby only to see you standing alone by the large windows overlooking the grounds, casual as can be with your hands in your pockets and a pleasant smile on your face. Moments passed as you surveyed the stunned heroes, each one more shocked and dumbfounded than the last. Except for one. You noticed the brunette super soldier staring at you in awe, prompting you to treat him with a playful wink.

“How did you get past the defenses?” Steve’s tone was serious, but you just shrugged it off.

“You guys wouldn’t be so interested in me if I wasn’t capable of doing something like this, now would you?”

Steve considered your answer, but he still wasn’t satisfied. "Why are you here? You spent weeks slipping away from us and now all of a sudden, you show up at our front door.“ His jaw was beginning to tick with tension and you raised your hands in defense.

"Hey, you guys started this whole thing. Trying to get close to me with your undercover creeping and stalking. I don’t appreciate being watched and I definitely don’t like being backed into a corner.” You crossed your arms firmly over your chest and glared at them.

At least they had the decency to look almost sheepish as they stood before you, knowing that they didn’t even bother to try and get in contact with you officially before setting on their little quest.

“We needed to see what you were capable of,” Steve said, trying to recover the situation and make it seem as though everything was done consciously. He knew you didn’t buy it, but you decided to be gracious.

“Well then, did I pass your expectations?” You grinned at the Captain as he finally lowered his shield.

“Exceeded them actually,” Steve said, easing the tension in his shoulders and giving you a small smile. The team took their cue from the Cap and relaxed as well.

Except one.

“But h-how?” Tony’s voice cracked when he finally spoke, clearly still struggling with the situation. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. You thought it would be best to try and console him before the man completely lost it.

“I’ll explain everything over lunch, Stark. Actually, you should invite Fury too. He’s been having way too much fun watching from the sidelines.”

~~~~~~~~~~

A few months passed since you joined the team and you were happy to be getting along so well with your new teammates. Although the early weeks were mostly spent apologizing. They were still a little sour about your first interactions and the fact that Fury had been assisting you with figuring out their next moves. Though, it did help to reassure them that you had spent weeks studying and preparing to face off against them rather than just besting them before they even had a chance. Besides, they read your files so they knew what you were capable of too.

You were a child prodigy, forced to start training and fighting at a young age with a group of notorious mercenaries led by your parents. You were lethal by your teenage years and they started hiring you out to anyone that needed your services. Being starved of love and affection kept you in a state of basic emotional sterilization and numbness that made your job easier and your abilities deadlier. You were always regarded as one of the best so that helped to inflate your ego just enough to keep you off a path of self-loathing, but not quite enough to silence your conscience or morality completely. S.H.I.E.L.D. was the last agency to ‘hire’ you with the intention of converting and recruiting you. They managed to knock some sense into you and in return, you helped them take down the mercenaries that raised you. No love lost there obviously.

You were surprised to find that you got along so well with Bucky in particular. Somehow feeling comfortable enough to open up to him more so than the rest. Neither of you showed pity towards the others hardships. Instead choosing on your strengths and perseverance towards survival. Initial attractions aside, Bucky had definitely peaked your interests and vice versa so it didn’t take long for you to start getting at each other. Both cocky and confident, with skill sets to back it up, you were constantly challenging him and he was always more than willing to accept.

Today was just like any other day that you trained alongside him. He was stronger than you, of course, but you made up for it with your speed and agility. You each got hits in, but you would just spend most of your time avoiding Bucky’s frisky advances. He was always so bold and eager to touch you when you fought against him. After nearly an hour and still no one’s back hitting the mat long enough for a count, Steve declared a stalemate.

“You barely touched me this round, doll. That ain’t much of a fight.” Bucky said as you both exited the ring and reached for your gym bags.

“That’s because you’re an ape, Barnes. If you spent less time trying to grab my ass and more time actually trying to hit me or pin me, maybe Steve wouldn’t have called it." You peeled off your sweaty tank top so you were left in just your sports bra and workout tights. For a second, you thought about throwing your shirt at Bucky’s face, but knowing him he probably wouldn’t mind that.

“Now why would I want to hit that beautiful body?” He eyed your sweat-slick body hungrily before taking a long pull from his water bottle.

You watched his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he drank. A small stream of water escaped his lips and trailed down his chin, disappearing under the collar of his Under Armor top. The tight material was damp with sweat and clinging to his body, threatening to tear anytime he flexed. Instinctively, your eyes wanted to travel lower, but you avoided the temptation. He always smiled so wide when he caught you staring. Not that you ever bothered to hide it so you just smiled right back.

“That didn’t stop me from landing a right hook on that pretty face of yours,” you said, noting the light bruising on his cheek.

Once you finished gathering your gear, you headed towards the exit with Bucky following close behind like he usually did.

“You’re too good to me, darlin'. Always leaving me a little something to remember you by.” He touched your arm lightly, making you stop and turn to swat his hand away.

“Watch it, Bucky. Unless we’re in the ring, you keep your hands off me or I’ll make you regret it,” you warned him. He would always just raise his hands in surrender, but that cocky grin was a permanent fixture on his face.

When you turned to leave again, he made the poor decision to test your threat just like you knew he would. As soon as he extended his right hand just enough, you grabbed it and pulled him towards you, using it as leverage so you could step onto his leg and climb over him. Hooking your thigh around his head, you twisted your body to throw him off balance. Before his back hit the floor, you had your hand wrapped around his windpipe as you straddled his chest.

He wasn’t sure whether he was more stunned or aroused and judging from his position, he was closer to the latter. From this angle, he was only inches away from your clothed core and having your thighs so close to his face was exciting him. Your grip on his neck was firm, but he could still speak.

“You thought I’d regret this?! Oh doll, this is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!” He was beaming from ear to ear and you couldn’t stop yourself from giggling at how ridiculous he was. Reasons like this were why you avoided using these techniques with him.

With your free hand, you pat his unbruised cheek and got up to walk away. He rolled to his side and silently watched as you left, looking disappointed when you were out of sight. During that entire interaction, he had somehow forgotten that Sam and Steve were still in the room until he heard them laughing. Steve had his hands on his hips, smiling and nodding his head while Sam was giving him a goofy grin, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“I think you’ve met your match, Buck.”

“Yeah, real smooth, Barnes.”

Bucky ignored them and turned to lay flat on his back again. Resting his hands beneath his head, he shut his eyes and pictured you on top of him again. Looking down with an innocent smile and that devilish glint in your eyes. The things he would do to you given half the chance. Then there were the things he couldn't even fathom you were capable of, but was more than willing and eager to find out.

“You okay there, Bucky?” Steve asked, humor evident in his tone.

“I think I’m in love.” Bucky sighed whimsically and the three men laughed together.


	2. Chapter Two

You were alone in the kitchen waiting for the machine to finish brewing your favorite blend of coffee. The Compound would be hosting it’s annual charity event tonight and although you weren’t typically into the whole ‘formal attire’ scene, knowing that it was for a good cause made you happy to attend. Still, these parties usually lasted well into the early morning hours, so you felt the need to be as caffeinated as possible. Unfortunately, the smell of fresh coffee seemed to act as a beacon and called the attention of a few like-minded individuals the second the pot was done.

Clint and Tony were both a blur as they rushed in, barely acknowledging that you were even in the room. You laughed them off, though, thankful that you had the foresight to make enough for at least 10 servings and surprised that they managed to leave enough for maybe two. You were tempted to take the rest for herself when Bucky strolled in. He was dressed casually in his typical everyday outfit, and as annoying as he was, at least he was easy on the eyes. His grey v-neck tee was sheer enough that you could see the dog tags resting on his chest and dark wash jeans hugged those thick thighs so affectionately. It was a good look, but clearly not what he would be wearing for tonight. You were in a bit of state yourself since you were in the process of getting ready when the need for caffeine interrupted. Fresh out of the shower with your hair wrapped in a soft towel, damp strands sticking out in random spots, and wearing nothing underneath your light robe. You were definitely a sight to see. Bucky took a brief pause to groan appreciatively at your appearance before preparing his own mug.

“You gonna save me a dance tonight, doll?” he asked, watching you from the corner of his eye.

You stuck out your bottom lip in mock disappointment. “Aw, isn’t that sweet? Not a chance in hell, darling.”

“We’ll see about that, sweetheart.” He took a sip of his coffee as he leaned back against the counter.

As silence fell over the room, Bucky took the time to shamelessly look over your figure more intently. His eyes leisurely trailed up your exposed legs, lingering on your thighs. His mind flooded with images of having them wrapped around his waist, holding you tightly against him while he ravaged your lips, neck and chest. You were both always so brazen when it came to checking each other out. Not the slightest bit ashamed or embarrassed because you liked the attention. You let him stare a bit longer before clearing your throat and directing his eyes away from your chest and back to your face.

Once you had his attention, you started scanning the room thoughtfully for a moment. “I count 16 in this room,” you announced. “19 if I wanted to get a little creative.”

Bucky smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. “Bare hands?” he asked. You mimicked his stance and said, “First on the list, as always.”

“Then I make 21,” he countered. “24 if I want to get my hands dirty. Which I always do.” You watched him pull his bottom lip between his teeth, a habit that made most women want to fall at his feet.

Too bad for him you were not most women, but that didn’t stop you from having a little fun. You made a show of swaying your hips as you stepped up to him, getting close enough to trace your fingers along his shirt collar and toying with the bit of chest hair that peaked through. “Tryna impress a girl, huh Barnes?”

“Mmhm,” he hummed. “Is it working, doll?” He smiled as he thought over his list for you. If it were possible to die from multiple orgasms, would that really be such a terrible thing?

You noticed the dark glint in his eyes and decided to push him just that little bit further. Standing on your toes, you leaned forward until your breath tickled against his lips. His eyes fell shut and nostrils flared as he breathed in your sweet scent and sighed. You were surprised that he actually managed to respect your 'no touching’ rule this time. Even though he was clearly struggling, his hands remained at his side, clutched tightly into fists.

Satisfied with his reaction you smacked his chest and pushed him out of your way. “Nope! Sorry, Buck. Better luck next time. Have fun tonight, though.” You scurried off trying to contain your laughter when you saw the indignant look cast over his face.

This was the type of relationship you had forged with Bucky ever since you moved in. Threatening each other, fighting over dominance and playing silly games, like counting how many objects you could kill each other with in any given room. That was all it was, though, a game and nothing more. It had to be. So you ignored the warmth in your belly and increased thumping in your chest as you reached your room to get ready for the night. Unaware that Bucky was feeling the same while also trying to readjust himself in pants that felt just a little bit tighter now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hours later, you were sitting at the bar of the Compound’s large party room drinking from a glass of punch. Compromising your senses in a crowd was never appealing to you, so you rarely drank in public, but you still enjoyed the atmosphere. The active bodies on the dance floor moving together to a loud beat, everyone with a drink in their hand, and all inhibitions left at coat check.

You listened to your friends share stories that wouldn’t typically be brought up if they were sober. Like the mission where Steve, Nat, and Clint had an unfortunate run-in with leeches and were forced to strip themselves of their uniforms. The rest of the team waited to rendezvous at the jet for almost an hour, but all impatience was forgotten when they saw the trio finally approaching. Completely naked. Natasha had taken possession of Steve’s shield to cover herself while the two men cupped themselves protectively. The group howled with laughter as you almost choked on your drink when you saw Steve’s face turn a deep shade of red at the memory.

As the night progressed, it seemed like every five minutes a different man would approach you with an invitation to show you a 'good’ time. Judging by their liquor-soaked breath and clumsy advances you severely doubted it, so you shot each of them down. After an hour of this you noticed that there was one man that had yet to make his usual attempt at seducing you.

Bucky was at the other end of the bar with a positively beautiful woman keeping him company. She was clearly having a hard time deciding which part of him to keep her hands on. The muscles in her arms strained as she kept pulling at him, a definite indicator that she wanted him to take her somewhere less crowded, but he wasn’t budging. Bucky’s attention was focused on you from the moment she walked up to him. Your eyes locked in a silent battle to see who would blink first.

“Mhm,” someone murmured as they stood next to you. “Can’t take your eyes off Barnes, huh?”

You didn’t, even as you took a sip of your drink. “Take a break, Wilson.”

“When are you just gonna admit it?” Sam’s inquiry was met with a stony silence, so he continued. “It’s obvious you have feelings for tall, dark, and dumb over there.” He nodded towards Bucky.

Clearly, he didn't plan on letting this go anytime soon, so you abandoned the staring contest to glare at the man beside you instead. “We’ve been over this, Sam. I’m a professional, I don’t do feelings. Especially feelings for Barnes.”

“Uh-huh.” He rolled his eyes and you narrowed yours.

Lately, Sam and Steve were in the habit of calling out your friendship with Bucky, trying to turn it into something more. You dismissed them outright. Not ready or willing to accept that even you started to notice a change. Sure, it was fun messing around with the brunette super soldier, turning him into a drooling mess of lust and temptation while you walked away unaffected. Except that last bit was happening less frequently now and, concerning as it was, you chose to ignore it.

While you were trying to figure out a way to dodge Sam’s judgment, the next [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WbCfHutDSE) started playing over the speakers giving you a wicked idea. It was certainly fitting for the moment and also might help you prove a point.

Sam instantly recognized the mischievous sparkle in your eyes and sighed. “Just be careful, girl. He’s an old man. Don’t go giving him a heart attack.” He paused, thinking to himself for a moment. “On second thought...”

You rolled your eyes at Sam and stepped away from the bar, striding towards the dance floor. The golden silk dress trailed behind you as the large slit coming up your left leg showcased your thigh almost up to your hipbone. The supple curve of your breasts peaking over the neckline was practically modest in comparison to your completely exposed back. The loose material draped just below the small of your back, calling more attention to your round backside. Even before you turned to face him, you knew Bucky had his eyes trained on you the entire time.

As the song played, you started dancing provocatively to the pulsing beat. Hips swiveling as your hands roamed up and down your body before reaching into your hair to play with the loose tendrils. You crooked your finger towards Bucky and motioned for him to come closer. He didn’t give it a second thought as he broke away from the other woman and began his journey over. Strutting towards you with such purpose and ferocity, you almost couldn’t tell whether he was coming to ravish you or murder you. The way his dark hair framed his face casting a shadow over his lust-crazed eyes added to that predatory effect. He had abandoned his suit jacket early on, leaving him in just the crisp white dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up to show off his impressive forearms. One muscular flesh, the other shining metal, both distracting and enticing as hell.

You turned your back to him as he closed in and it wasn’t long before his warm arm was wrapped around your midsection pulling you to his chest as you started dancing together. Cool metal fingers trailed up your arm and moved your hair aside exposing your neck to him.

“You looked a little jealous there, doll.” His voice was low and gravelly, lips barely making contact at that sensitive spot below your ear.

You placed one hand on his and lifted the other to hold the back of his neck. “Oh I don’t get jealous, sweetheart. I’m just proving a point.”

“Mmm, and what’s that?” Whatever it was, he liked where this was going.

“That you’re willing to drop everything the second I wave a finger just so you can get your hands on me for a minute. You got it bad, Barnes.”

He chuckled softly. “Maybe I do,” he whispered in your ear, saying your name the way he did sent an unexpected chill up your spine. “You’re an incredible woman. You’re smart. Strong. You can take care of yourself in a fight. And you’re fucking beautiful. You got me going crazy, doll. I can’t get my mind off you.” He nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck and held you tighter.

Maybe it was the low timber of his voice or his metal hand gripped firmly on your exposed thigh, but suddenly you felt your skin prickle with heat. His hips followed the languid rhythm you set and you loved how comfortable and strong his thighs felt behind yours. His hard chest pressed against your exposed back, the buttons of his shirt practically digging into your flesh from the friction. You moved your hand into his hair and started pawing at his scalp, tugging on the soft strands. A deep growl reverberated through his chest and traveled straight down to your core.

What he said, the way he moved and the sounds he made, it was all making you feel lightheaded. You had to bite down on your lip to stop yourself from whimpering when a devastating roll of his hips had your ass grinding against his hardening length. Being so lost in the moment, in his touch, you forgot what point you were trying to make in the first place. You needed to walk away from this.

Somehow you managed to compose yourself enough to escape his embrace and back away from him, smiling softly when you saw yet another dazed look on his face. “Well I guess I saved a dance for you after all. Don’t say I never do anything for you, Buck.” You didn’t look back as you left, pretending that your arousal hadn’t just soaked through your lingerie.

“Fuck,” Bucky groaned as he watched you saunter away. Your hips swayed just as they did against him seconds ago, leaving him with only a throbbing ache pushing against his briefs as a reminder. “She’s gotta stop doing that shit.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was 3am and even though the guests were gone, the team didn’t want the party to end just yet. After changing out of their formal wear, everyone gathered in the lounge to continue the fun. Nothing too scandalous, just a couple of drinks and some games amongst friends. How the hell it ended up turning into an arm wrestling contest was beyond you.

Clint was paired with Sam, who was drunkenly boasting about his inevitable victory against the archer. Their friendly rivalry was made all the more hilarious when they were drunk off their asses. Seconds after the match began, Sam was pinned and Clint was flailing his arms and legs like a giddy child as he celebrated. Natasha took the rest of his drink away immediately.

“Slick move, Barton. Getting your girl to throw me off like that.” Sam pouted, claiming that Nat purposely distracted him. Steve had to take away Sam’s beer when he started arguing that blinking rhymes with winking, so therefore she was obviously flirting with him.

“Don’t try to pin this on her, Wilson.“ Clint objected. His voice sounded a little scratchy and he could barely keep his eyes open. "What do you think I shoot arrows with all day, huh? My feet?” He started showing off his muscular forearms and biceps in a series of ridiculous poses. “Now if this was a contest to see who could break a watermelon with their legs, you’d take that one easy, pal.”

Sam considered his words for a minute before smiling lazily, nodding in agreement. “You’re right about that. I do have some great thighs.” He started rubbing his legs and praising them for being so thick and perfect.

The group laughed at the pair of drunken aviary Avengers as they stumbled away from the table. Tony was declaring the matches and after a brief chat with Natasha, he called out the next pair.

“Alright, we have a theory that needs testing." He called out your name and Bucky's before clapping his hands on the flat surface of the table. “You’re up!”

“What?! But I thought I was sup–”

“My God, Rogers!“ Tony interrupted, turning to face the now pouting Captain. "Must you and the tin man do everything together? Could you just share him for a minute? I’m sure our girl here won’t steal him away from you.”

“No promises,” Bucky said, blowing a kiss towards you which made you stick your tongue out at him.

“Sit your ass down, Buck. And keep your pretty mouth shut for everyone’s sake.” You tried to sound serious, but your smile said otherwise.

Once seated, you both made a show of stretching out your muscles before putting your elbows on the table. Bucky was about to make a comment that was sure to have your skin crawling, but you stopped him. “I don’t think so, buddy. I want the other one.” You pointed towards his left arm instead.

He quirked an eyebrow, but still switched arms. The light reflected off the metal plates when he flexed and waved his fingers at you. “You sure about this, doll? I know you’re tough, but c’mon, you don’t stand a chance here. I don’t wanna hurt you, baby girl. Unless you’re into that sorta thing.” His suggestive wink and smug tone only solidified your resolve.

“Oh I love it when you sweet talk me, baby.” You rolled your eyes and grabbed his hand. “Let’s do this, Barnes. You’re going down.”

He smirked and pulled you in a little closer, the soft whir of the metal plates vibrated against your palm. “On you, maybe later. First I got a match to win.”

You choked back a gasp, quickly disguising it as laughter and hoping that it would distract him from the sudden blush that filled your cheeks.

“Okay lovebirds,” Tony clasped his hands over yours and Bucky’s. “The second I let go of your fists, the match begins. We don’t frown upon cheap tricks here, but just don’t be a whiner like Wilson.” Tony repeated the rules, ignored Sam’s slurred insults, and checked to make sure you were both ready.

Without breaking eye contact you nodded your heads and confirmed that you heard him. Stark let a few more seconds pass to build suspense before finally pulling away. The second he did, you lunged forward and crashed your lips against Bucky’s. The unexpected contact caught him completely off guard and while your lips were connected, you pinned his arm. Your lips lingered on his for a moment longer before you pulled away and met your victory with a series of whistling and applause.

Bucky sat motionless. Staring at you wide-eyed and speechless, trying to process what just happened as the group congratulated you on a clean win. His lips were still tingling from your kiss. This was something he’d fantasized about for weeks but never expected for it to happen like that. Game or not, he couldn’t deny that there was something more behind your motive.

He needed to pull himself together before anyone called him out, so he donned his signature grin and congratulated you. “Well played.”

“Element of surprise, _doll_,” you jeered, proud of yourself for pulling it off.

After Tony was done cursing Bucky under his breath, he paid Natasha for losing their little bet and moved on to face off against Steve. You watched for a minute as Tony desperately tried to pin the immovable super soldier with both hands. At one point, he was basically dangling off his arm while Steve cackled. Positive that Tony was only seconds away from summoning his armor, you decided now was a good time to slip away towards the empty kitchen and get a drink. 

After grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, you turned to see that you were no longer alone. “What was that all about?”

“What are you talking about, Bucky?” you answered his question with one of your own.

“You know damn well.” He nodded towards the other room. “What just happened back there?”

You shrugged, drinking almost the entire bottle while avoiding eye contact. "What about it? It was a game. Don’t be such a sore loser.”

“It was more than that.” He said sternly as he stepped closer, then whispered, “And the dancing earlier.”

He was close enough that you could smell the light yet incredibly intoxicating scent of his cologne. It mixed beautifully with his own indescribable scent and you silently cursed him. Since when did he smell so good?

"It was a tactic, Bucky,” you explained. “I was just trying to throw you off by doing something stupid. And it worked didn’t it? I won fair and square. And the dance was just a dance, I was messing around. It was nothing.”

The way he had said your name was tripping you up, making you get frustrated not only with him, but yourself as well. Why did he have to keep on pressing the matter instead of letting it go like he usually did? Why now?

You moved to walk away, but he reached out for your arm, turning you to face him. “I don’t buy it. Sounds like your trying to convince yourself rather than admit the truth. I know it wasn’t nothing.”

“Oh really? What was it then?” you seethed. “You seem to know better than me, so tell me. Why? Because you’re Bucky Barnes and no woman can resist you? Bullshit!”

“No, because I have proof,” he stated, still holding onto your arm, his face was serious.

Biting back a scoff, you looked up at him expectantly. “What proof?”

He took a cautious step towards you and when you didn’t pull back, he moved in a little closer. Metal fingers barely grazed your skin as he trailed them up your arm. With every inch they climbed, your traitorous body reacted to his tentative touch. The slow drag of his knuckles along your collar bone up to your jawline, a trail of goosebumps followed. He leaned forward, nudging your nose with his and felt the warmth of his breath against your lips. Lips that you just learned were softer than you could have imagined. You were struggling to keep your eyes open when he finally pulled back. His long warm fingers still wrapped around your wrist, lifting it to rest on his chest while his metal hand moved to your hip.

“Your pulse beats faster whenever I’m close to you,” he whispered. “Your pupils dilate and your body temperature rises.” He looked into your eyes and cupped your cheek. “I know because you have the same symptoms as me and I have feelings for you.”

There was no trace of smug ego or cocky bravado in the way he looked at you with those unreasonably blue eyes. His smile was so warm and genuine you could practically feel your walls crumbling apart. This was all new territory and you didn’t know how to deal with it. You couldn’t admit it to yourself, let alone Bucky, that you started to develop feelings for him. You spent your life in the company of heartless criminals, training and killing for faceless men. None of this allowed room for a chance at romance and you were fine with that!

You _were_ fine with that.

Standing here with Bucky now, your bodies close and your mind and heart racing, you didn’t know what to think anymore. But you were too damn stubborn for your own good.

“No,” you choked. “Enough. It was nothing.” Your hands curled into fists on his chest. “Dammit, just stop it, Bucky.” You pushed him away and ran out of the room, leaving him to stare at your retreating form once again.

So damn stubborn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that night a few weeks ago, you and Bucky hardly saw each other. Both choosing to deal with the others absence as though you were dealing with a loss. For the first couple weeks, you were upset and hurt, with yourselves and with each other. Wishing for things to go back to the way they were before either of you realized your feelings were changing. That obviously wasn’t going to happen with two such hardheaded people. Sadness shifted into denial which eventually led to anger and frustration, your current and most volatile stage. However, you were both professionals and whatever was happening between you was not about to come in the way of work. Or so you thought.

While out on a mission, you and Bucky were ordered to distract a number of hostiles away from the others so they could slip into the target building unnoticed. Despite finding yourself a little outnumbered at one point everything was going according to plan. That was until Bucky came barreling out of nowhere, redirecting all enemy fire away from you and onto himself. You both managed to get away relatively unscathed, but he ended taking a bullet to his side because of his own stupidity.

Back at the compound and standing outside the medbay, you watched as they extracted the bullet and stitched him up. When they were all done he got up and headed towards the exit where you were waiting, silently fuming.

“What the hell were you thinking, Bucky?” you screamed as he came out the doors and started walking away.

“I was thinking I was doing my damn job.” He knew you were pissed off when you didn’t say anything the entire flight back, instead choosing to sit in the corner of the jet while Steve hovered over him like a worried parent.

He continued to try and get away from you, navigating the hallways and heading towards the compound’s living space as you shouted at his back. “Your job is not to get yourself killed by doing something stupid like that!”

He stopped and turned to face you. His expression was so intense, almost threatening, and instantly halted you in your tracks. “Making sure you don’t get hurt or killed isn’t stupid to me!” Bucky yelled, his voice echoed through the empty corridor.

You stood completely still as you stared blankly up at him which only made him sigh tiredly. “Y'know when someone takes a bullet for you, the polite thing to do is say thank you or something. Not bitch at ‘em for saving your life because you’re too damn arrogant to admit you needed help.”

You folded your arms over your chest, instantly offended. “I had the situation under control, Bucky. I am not your responsibility and you are not mine. Pull a stunt like that again and I’ll shoot you myself.”

He dragged his fingers through his hair and growled furiously. “You’re so fucking stubborn!”

“So are you, asshole!” you barked back.

You were so worked up that you started shoving and hitting him. He stood there and took each hit without complaint, letting you work through your emotions. Though your words said one thing, your actions said another as anytime you touched him you made sure to avoid the areas you knew were wounded. Truth was, it scared the shit out of you when you saw him get hit and fall to the ground. The sight of him clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers was an image you never wanted to see again.

Once you had calmed down enough you wanted to run, but Bucky grabbed you and pinned your back to the wall with a thud. He went to cage you in with his arms, but you were quick and took him by the collar of his uniform, spinning your bodies until his back was against the wall. Any frustration he still felt resolved into amusement as your grip on his uniform loosened, but your hands remained on his chest.

“You’re mad cause you were scared that I got hurt. That’s it, isn’t it?” he asked, moving his hands to rest on your hips.

“No,” you replied a little too quickly and not at all convincing. He laughed. “Aw, you were worried about me, huh doll?”

“Shut up, Bucky,” you whined.

“Guess you kinda like me more than you let on. Don’t deny it, you think I’m cute.” He batted his long eyelashes and smiled that toothy grin. Out of all the people to fall for, it just had to be a man that was just as capable of irritating you to no end as he was to leave you weak at the knees.

You shook your head and let out a tired laugh. “You’re such a child.”

His shit-eating grin could not be contained as he said, “You still love me though.”

You finally looked at him, seeing the same sincerity and affection in his eyes that you knew matched your own. “Yeah well, so what if I do.”

His hand came up to caress your blushing cheek and you instinctively leaned into his touch. “Finally,” he whispered before pressing your lips together. You both sighed happily as you felt the soft plump flesh again. If kisses like this were what you had to look forward to then it was definitely a feeling you could get used to.

“For the record, I love you too,” he murmured against your lips when you pulled back a little to breathe.

“Of course you do. I’m amazing,” you said, suppressing a giggle as he shook his head affectionately.

“I know you’re expecting me to come back with some witty or cocky comment, but I’m just gonna agree and keep kissing you instead. Sound good?” His thumb swiped across your bottom lip, tugging it down slightly before letting it bounce back in place.

You squinted your eyes and pretended to think about it for a moment before Bucky pinched your sides. He jutted out his jaw seductively and licked his lips when you squealed.

“Sounds good, Barnes.”

**Author's Note:**

> gifs used found on tumblr, scenes from Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation


End file.
